Garden of Innocence

On February 28, 2003, we received a call from the Public Administrator informing us that there was a little baby girl that had died and was abandoned at Palomar Hospital for Garden of Innocence San Diego to receive. We set in motion the things that needed to be done to take care of this little baby girl.

Elissa Davey, who is in charge of picking up the babies and taking them to mortuaries that donate their time, took a little casket off the shelf and drove out to Palomar Hospital to pick up the baby.

As she was removing the baby from the body bag, the first thing she noticed was perfect little teeny round toes. She remembers telling the baby, to be named Jeanette, what cute little toes she had.

Naming Janette: Elissa had asked an acquaintance if he and his wife would like to name a baby, as they had recently lost their teenage daughter in a school bus accident in San Marcos and she thought this would help with their grief. They chose the name Jeanette.

A year and a half later, Elissa got a call from a woman who had adopted a baby boy that was very sick for his first year and had to get well before he could be adopted. His name was Keegan. Going through Keegan's paperwork, she noticed that it listed him as a twin. The woman called the medical examiner and asked them what happened to Keegan's twin. They told her that they were not sure and to call Elissa Davey at Garden of Innocence.

On that call Elissa asked the woman if she knew Keegan's real birth name and date of birth. After checking her records, she informed her that Keegan had a sister and her name was Jeanette. Elissa mentioned that she remembered Jeanette had the cutest little toes and the woman told Elissa that this was funny as Keegan also had the cutest little toes.

At the next service at the Garden of Innocence in San Diego, Keegan, his mother and father, grandmother and grandfather all came to pay thier respects and to lay a flower at Jeanette's head stone. Since that time, they try to come out to every service to bring Jeanette a flower. Keegan's father told us that twins have a connection and Keegan some day would have asked where his twin is, and now he knows.

We got the following letter from Keegans grandmother:

“Hi, My name is (name redacted) and my daughter and son-in-law just adopted the twin of one of the babies you were so kind to give a loving burial to. Her name is Jeanette and she was buried March 15, 2003.

My daughter, (name redacted) has been so worried about his sister ever since she found out about her and she is greatly relieved to know that a kind and loving person handled this last act of love instead of some impersonal institution.

It is important to all of us that Keegan know about his sister and that she is in Heaven with God. Now he has a place to visit her as well.

I know I can help with quilts,blankets and supplies. Are there other areas that need help? Who decorates the inside of the offins?  I am a quilter and work pretty well with fabric if you need help.

Thank you for what you do.”